Unit 6 Discoveries

Unit 6! This week has been chaotic for me! Finding enough (quiet) time to practice these meditations and assessments has been difficult.

I found the Loving Kindness exercise very straightforward and enlightening. I especially liked the idea that I was almost ‘praying’ for others, but not addressing a specific religion, but rather the universe in general.

I also liked the simplicity of asking myself for the answers to questions such as, ‘What aspect is the source of my difficulty; psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly?’ I feel like I need to focus attention on both biological, because of my pregnancy, and also interpersonal.

Beginning my focus on biological development, I can direct my attention towards eating even more nutritiously, and also on finding the time for more activity; such as swimming, walking, and strength training that is appropriate during my pregnancy.

Additionally, I think evolving my family connections will help me during this time as well. Family is so important to me, and I need to reconnect to many family members!

I think this is a great start to my development!

The Subtle Mind

We’re half way through the course! Time has flown by! For Unit 5, I tried The Subtle Mind Practice. Compared to The Loving Kindness Practice last week, I was able to focus more easily on this week’s exercise. The loving Kindness Practice had more ‘instruction’ from the speaker; which often makes it harder for me to concentrate and finish the exercise. The Subtle Mind exercise gave me plenty of time between guidance to focus on my breath. Maybe this exercise was easier for me because I have practiced breath work before. I felt very relaxed, like I might want to crawl back into bed, even though I could hear my mom and daughter arguing about breakfast in the kitchen… Or maybe that’s why I wanted to crawl back in bed!

There is a strong connection between spiritual wellness, mental wellness, and physical wellness. None of these aspects can be well if the others are not. Of course, some may be stronger than others, but all should be attended to on a regular basis. If one aspect is neglected the others will suffer, and the person will be unbalanced and disrupted.

Personally, I feel unstable when I disregard one part of my wellness. For example, if I am inactive due to illness or a busy schedule, I feel sluggish and my mind is unclear; I might feel confused or impatient. I have figured out that if I focus on each aspect of myself that I am able to feel more whole and balanced in my life.

 

Loving Kindness Practice

My experience with the Loving Kindness Practice in HW420 was similar to my experience with our first meditation practice in this course; I couldn’t really get into it. My first thought was that 18 minutes was a long time to sit still, knowing that I had so much work to do. My next thought was that the ocean waves remind me of all the fun I could be having at the beach- more active than relaxing, but balancing, regardless. I could have focused more accurately on the meditation if I had actual free time to listen to it; instead, I found myself almost forcing my mind to pay attention to the instructions- it didn’t come easy to me. Dacher recommends simply remembering the basics of the practice and directing your own meditation (2006). This worked much better for me! I was able to spend as little or as much time on the subjects that really mattered to me.

I would suggest others do this in the early morning maybe, or before bedtime- depending on their schedule- to increase their attentiveness and awareness. I feel like someone could master this meditation if they really concentrate.

According to Dacher, mental workouts require concentration, dedication, and consistency (2006). Keeping the mind responsive and open is important for mental health and increasing self-awareness. A workout for the mind is just as important as a physical workout for overall health and wellness.

Dacher, E. (2006). Psychospiritual Flourishing. Chapter 6 .Integral Health; The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA. Basic Health Publications

Reflections and The Rainbow Meditation~

Unit 3 and the Mind-Body Connection is already here! Time seems to fly by! After taking a time out to reflect on my overall well-being, I think I can comfortably rate myself on a scale of 1 to 10. My physical well-being can be rated at a 7 ½, my spiritual well-being is an 8, and my psychological well-being is a 7. To begin with, I think we can all improve, so I would never give myself a 10. There is always something that can be worked on, modified, eliminated, or amended in some way.

 I believe my physical health is very good; I’m active and follow a healthy vegetarian diet. I think I could improve in my strength training and endurance; I’d love to start cross fit and participate in parkour. As a goal, I plan to add intensity to my daily activities; if I’m running, I’ll run faster- if I’m swimming, I’ll swim farther. In addition to enhancing my daily activities I would like to significant add weight training to my agenda.

My spiritual well-being is strong. I am very comfortable with my spirituality and I have an ability to open myself to new ideas. I would like to try new methods of spiritual development in the near future. I plan on attending some sessions that are different for me at a nearby mediation center. Kirtan is one option that I’d like to experience.

My psychological well-being could be improved the most. I feel a little overwhelmed with life right now; but I keep in mind that others are facing an even harder struggle. My goal is to reduce my stress and ease my mind. I feel like some stress management or simply learning to ask for help might reduce my stress levels dramatically.

The relaxation exercise that we tried this week reminded me of chakra cleansing; a simple self-guided meditation that I’ve been practicing for years (and even taught my daughter at a very young age). This exercise was easier for me to concentrate on than last weeks; maybe because I was more familiar with the format. Differences in the Rainbow Meditation and chakra cleansing were evident, though. This exercise began at the root, and continued to the crown; I begin chakra cleansing from the top down. Also chakra cleansing doesn’t have to involve specific color, although it can. For me, it often involves images such as smoke, flames, waves, shapes, even words. Maybe I’m getting better at the courses meditations, or maybe I was more prepared for this week’s exercise; either way, I was more relaxed for this one!